Game Preview: Islanders at Stars

NEW YORK ISLANDERS (10-7-2) AT DALLAS STARS (12-4-3)

8 PM EST | AMERICAN AIRLINES CENTER

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The New York Islanders are in Dallas to take on the Stars at American Airlines Center on Tuesday night.

The Islanders dropped their first game of the seven-game road trip with a 4-1 loss to the Colorado Avalanche on Sunday night, where Emil Heineman scored the lone goal for New York. The 4-1 result doesn’t tell the full story, as it was a one-goal game until the final minute of the game.

The Isles are 4-1-0 in their last five games.

HOLMSTROM A GAME-TIME DECISION

Simon Holmstrom (illness) is a game-time decision against Dallas the team announced on Tuesday morning.

Holmstrom has nine points (4G, 5A) in 19 games this season while averaging 2:34 SH TOI/GP.

If Holmstrom can’t play, Max Shabanov is expected to fill his role on a line with Mathew Barzal and Jonathan Drouin. Shabanov returned to the lineup on Sunday for the first time since Oct. 21. Shabanov has three points (1G, 2A) in seven games.

If Shabanov plays with Barzal and Drouin, Maxim Tsyplakov is expected to draw into the lineup alongside Casey Cizikas and Calum Ritchie. Tsyplakov was a healthy scratch on Sunday and has one goal in 12 games this season.

MORNING SKATE LINES

Emil Heineman - Bo Horvat - Kyle Palmieri
Jonathan Drouin - Mathew Barzal - Max Shabanov
Anders Lee - JG Pageau - Anthony Duclair
Casey Cizikas - Cal Ritchie – Maxim Tsyplakov

Matthew Schaefer - Ryan Pulock
Adam Pelech - Tony DeAngelo
Alexander Romanov - Scott Mayfield

David Rittich

RITTICH EXPECTED TO START

David Rittich was the first goalie off the ice at morning skate and is expected to start on Tuesday. Rittich is 4-2-0 this season with a 3.15 GAA and a .893 SV%. He’s coming off a 27-save win over the Utah Mammoth on Friday in his most recent outing.

HEINEMAN REACHING NEW HEIGHTS

Heineman is riding a three-game goal streak and Sunday's marked the first time in franchise history a player scored to make it 1-0 for three consecutive games. The Swedish winger, who scored his ninth goal of the season on his 24th birthday, is one goal shy of tying a career-high of 10 goals established with Montreal last season through 62 games of his first NHL campaign.

Heineman ranks 12th in the NHL with 65 hits this season.

AN IMPROVED PK

The Islanders penalty kill has been strong lately, going 19-for-21 in its last six games (90.1%).

LEADER VS THE STARS

Anders Lee leads the Islanders with 12 points (7G, 5A) in 20 career games against Dallas.

SEASON SERIES

The Islanders were swept in last year’s season series going 0-2-0. The Isles haven’t had much luck on the road against the Stars, going 1-4-0 at American Airlines Center since 2018. The lone win came on Feb. 26, 2024 when Bo Horvat scored in overtime for a 3-2 victory.

ACROSS THE ICE

Jason Robertson’s hat trick led the Dallas Stars to a 5-1 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday. Lian Bichsel and Tyler Seguin also scored in the win, while Jake Oettinger made 20 saves. The Stars had two days off between games heading into Tuesday’s tilt against the Isles.

Robertson was named NHL’s first star of the week for the week ending on Nov. 16. He recorded nine points (6G, 3A) in his last three games. He’s a reliable piece of the Stars offense in recent years with three straight 80-point seasons, including a 109-point campaign in 2022-23.

Dallas is riding a five-game winning streak and their 27 points rank second in the Western Conference.

The Stars power play (33.3%) ranks second in the NHL.